A Tale of Two Trevelyans
by InuGuardian1984
Summary: Two Trevelyans were sent to the Conclave. One destined to become the Inquisitor, the savior of Thedas. The other stayed to follow their own path, away from what was expected. The choices of the siblings will change their world. I'm going to keep this as safe as I can. May cross post on other sites if rating goes up.
1. Chapter 1

"Kaleigh!"

A mop of dark brown hair plopped down on the door that was hiding it.

~Please don't find me,~ Kaleigh thought miserably.

"Kaleigh Lynn Trevelyan!" the voice shouted again.

~Full name…Nonnie must have been searching for me for quite some time.~

Heaving a sigh, sparing the old woman more headache, Kaleigh stood and opened the stable door. Kaleigh shook the straw and dust from her skirt and hair as she exited the building. Kicking at the ground almost petulantly as she walked, Kaleigh all but pouted as she searched out her one-time nursemaid.

Kaleigh didn't know what the old woman could want with her. She hadn't needed Nonnie to watch over her in nearly two years. She was pretty sure her parents kept her on out of loyalty. Nonnie had been her nursemaid, her elder brother's nursemaid, and their mother's nursemaid. She was, more honestly, a valued member of their family.

"Young lady, where have you been?"

Kaleigh was pulled from her musings by the older woman. "In the stables, Nonnie," Kaleigh replied. "Where else would I be?"

Nonnie grabbed Kaleigh's hand and began pulling her toward the main hall of the manor. "You must come quickly," Nonnie said urgently. "Your father calls for you and he must not be kept waiting."

The two women marched quickly across the green yard. "Why, Nonnie? What is it?" It was always quiet in their little section of the Free Marches, even with the horrid happenings with the mages and templars.

"I do not know, my lady," Nonnie said, her voice thick with tension. She looked around them quickly. "But I fear he means to send you with your brother."

A look of confusion crossed Kaleigh's face. Her older brother, Colten, had gone to the Templars five years ago, shortly after Kaleigh had turned 13. They received letters from him but hadn't seen him since then.

"Send me to the Templars? Why? I've shown no interest in joining them."

The two reached the door and Nonnie stopped before they entered. Kaleigh couldn't decipher the look on the old woman's face. "I wish I could tell you what your father plans, sweetling. But you know your father. If he doesn't want one to know his thoughts, he will hide them."

Kaleigh nodded her head and Nonnie opened the door to the house. Nonnie led Kaleigh into the main room where her father and mother were waiting. Kaleigh looked at her mother, hoping to glean some information in the woman's eyes.

Nothing.

~Since when is Mama so good at hiding her thoughts?~ Kaleigh thought.

Kaleigh turned to her father expectantly. "You wanted to see me, father?"

Matthias, patriarch of the Trevelyan family, nodded his head once and walked to his daughter. He stood tall, seeming to steel himself for a fight.

"You have heard of the tragedy in Kirkwall and the fall of the Circles?" he asked, straight to the point.

Kaleigh nodded her head. "Yes, father. By all accounts, the fighting has been horrific."

Matthias began pacing in thought. "Divine Justinia is calling for a meeting between the Mages and Templars. She wants to restore the peace between them." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Your brother will be there, and I want you to go there as well."

Kaleigh's expression was one of pure shock. "You're sending me to see Coulten?"

"I'm sending you to assist Most Holy in her endeavor to bring sanity back to the Chantry," he corrected her. Matthias turned to his daughter. "Once the Divine has concluded her business, you will accompany your brother and join the Order."

Kaleigh stared at her father in disbelief. She had known that as the youngest, the chances of her being sent to either the Order or the Chantry were incredibly high. In secret, though, she had hoped that as their only daughter that they would take her wishes into consideration. And neither prospect appealed to the spirited young woman.

"As you wish, father."

His daughter's answer obviously surprised him. Matthias had been prepared to fight and argue with the girl. "Good," he replied in relief. "Go and ready yourself. Be sure to wear your light armor. The journey to the Temple should be safe, but one can never tell in these times."

Kaleigh bowed her head and turned away from her father. Before ascending the stairs to her room, Kaleigh caught the eyes of her mother and eldest brother. Both seeming forlorn at the patriarch's decision.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I apologize for any spelling or gramatical errors. MS Word quit working on me, so I'm running off of Notepad and looking for everything myself. I know the chapters are short. I'm doing this on purpose so I don't lose interest in this story. I hope you liked the first chapter, and that will you like the second chapter.

Kaleigh grumbled loudly as she packed a few belongings into a small sack, knowing that any personal items would likely be confiscated.

"Stupid, Maker-cursed bastard." she muttered violently. "He already sent one there, why a second? Fucking shit!"

"Language, baby sister," came a voice from her door.

Kaleigh looked up to see her eldest brother standing in the doorway. "Leave me alone, Kyrian," Kaleigh growled.

Kyrian grabbed his chest in feigned hurt. "Is that how you wish me to remember you? A sour parting and hurtful words?" He entered Kaleigh's room and plopped down on her bed. "Is the thought of being sent to the Temple truly so terrible? You will get to see more than Ostwick. You will see the lands beyond the Free Marches."

Kaleigh glared at her brother. "Why don't you go if it excites you so much? You're not the one being pushed off, being forced to leave everything, everyone, behind." Kaleigh pouted and crossed her arms across her chest.

Kyrian nodded his head in understanding. "That's true. But you don't have to stay and listen to father attempt to be a teacher." He grinned when he saw her lips twitch upward.

Kaleigh sighed as she sat next to her brother. "It's not going to the Temple. I knew this was going to happen, but deep down, I was hoping I would get to stay." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I just wasn't ready to leave yet."

"If you stayed, you'd likely get married off to some fat snob." He wrapped his arm around her and hugged her close. "Look at it this way: You get to go on and adventure. Save some lost souls. Whether you join the Chantry or the Templars, you're doing some good out there. No wasting away here."

Kaleigh released her breath slowly. "Who will be here for Mama? Bernice has been married off to William. With Coulton gone, and now me, who's going to look after her?"

"What am I, chopped liver?"

"You know what I mean."

"I will get on as I always have, thank you very much."

The two lifted their heads to see theri mother, Lillian, standing in the doorway.

Kaleigh jumped up and ran to the older woman. She felt her mother's arms wrap around her and hold her close. Kaleigh couldn't stop the tears that fell, nor the resulting sniffles.

"Hush now, my darling," Lillian cooed. "All will be well."

Kaleigh looked up into her mother's green eyes, eyes just like her own, and was calmed by the peace she saw there. "How can you be so sure?" she asked pitifully.

Lillian just smiled and brushed Kaleigh's dark hair away from her face. "Because I have faith in the Maker. That He will keep you safe." She gently kissed her daughter's forehead. "You must have faith as well, darling."

Kaleigh gave one final sniffle and nodded her head. "Yes, mother."

Lillian pulled herdaughter cllose one more time before releasing her. "Now," she began, almost stiffly, "let us join yourfather for one final meal before we see you off tomorrow morning."

Kyrian stood and hugged his sister again. "Be brave, little one," he said softly. "Who knows? Maybe you'll wind up being someone important in the Order."

Kaleigh watched her mother and brother lelave her room, then finished packing. Mother was right, after all. They did want to get an early start. 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I hope you're enjoying the story. Kinda slow moving, but doing my best. This chapter talks of the travel Kaleigh took. I'm not sure on the distances and time it takes to travel from one place to another, so I took my best guess. This chapter turned out different than how I intended. Also, again, sorry for any spelling errors.

Chapter 3

The journey from Ostwick had been a long one. Kaleigh, and the company of men and women with her, shipped from Ostwick to Highever, and then headed south from there. The trek along the Imperial Highway was decent enough, she supposed. It was a far cry better than the less trodden paths that were off the main nearly month long travel had not been without misshap. A few injured due to minor skirmishes, several seasick over the Waking Sea. They hadn't lost any men, thankfully. After so many days of travel, they could finally see the temple in the distance.

Kaleigh looked ahead at the rise before them, then back at the group behind her. There weren't many, only about 20 or so, but still too many for a faster pace.

"Captain Purlow," she called.

A weathered, yet still strong looking, older man came riding next to her. "Yes, My Lady?" he asked.

"I'm going to ride on ahead," she informed him. "Stay with the men, keep your pace, and I will see you in Haven..."

A sudden and loud explosion in the distance cut her off. Gasps and curses could be heard from the company. Kaleigh turned and nearly screamed at the sight. The Temple of Sacred Ashes was no longer there. Instead, a gaping, smoking ruin stuck out of the mountain. A bright green light seemed to shoot up into the sky before an immense hole grew above them.

"Double time, people," Captain Purlow shouted. "Now!"

Kaleigh wasted no time in turning her horse, pushing him as fast as he would go.

Coulton struggled to stand, the world tilting and turning around him. He shook his head, dark hair shaking in fron of his eyes. When he finally found his balance, he stood carefully and took in his surroundings. Immediately, he knew he wasn't wear he was supposed to be. ~Where am I supposed to be?~ he asked himself.

He didn't get the opportunity to find an answer. All around him, things were crawling toward him. He immediately started running in the opposite direction. In the distance, he could see a bright light. ~Why not?~ he thought as he picked up his pace. As he got closer, he saw a woman shrouded in gold at the top of a fairly steep rise.

~Faster, Trevelyan,~ he pushed himself.

Almost there...He stretched out his hand to her. He could feel the brush of her fingertips against his.

Just a little more...

Nothing.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you now."

The gruff voice pulled him out of his mind.

"What's going on? Where am I?" he asked.

Rough hands grasped at his shirt collar, shaking him harshly. "Most Holy is dead. As is everyone else at the Conclave. Except for you."

Coulton looked up into the woman's face. "Everyone?" he asked sadly. "All of those people..."

Another woman joined the first. "We need him Cassandra," she said, almost gently.

"Need me? What for?"

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana," Cassandra all but ordered. "I will bring him shortly."

Leliana left and Cassandra helped him to stand. "It will be best to show you."

She led Coulton out the same door as Leliana. Bright light assaulted his eyes, and he looked down. ~Something's not right,~ he thought.

He looked back up into the sky. A giant green hole was there, where it shouldn't be.

"What in the Fade is that?" he exclaimed.

"We call it the Breach," Cassandra explained. "It appeared when the Temple exploded."

She began to lead him forward, through throngs of people who were glaring death at him. He never before wished he was invisible as he did right now.

"They hold you responsible. Afte the death of the Divine, they need to feel something beyond the sorrow."

"How can I prove my innocense?" he asked.

She turned to turn her steely gaze upon him. "Help us," she said smiply. "If there is a way to close this Breach, help us find it."

Coulton glanced up at the sky again. ~What have I been dragged into?~ he asked himself.

He nodded his head once. "I will help. Whatever this is, I will help find a way to fix it."

End Chapter 3 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I hope you're still enjoying the story. Feel free to tell me what you think. Is it terrible, is it okay? I apologize for the wait. My husband and I celebrated our birthdays over the weekend. I'm sorry if this chapter seems shorter than the others. What I have written is actually longer, but the flow wasn't quite right where I was going to end the chapter. Again, I apologize for any spelling errors. This is written on Notepad.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Dragon Age series or the characters therein.

Chapter 4

The green mark on Coulton's hand troubled him. Every time the Breached pulsed, so did the mark.

"They are connected," Cassandra explained. "The pulses are coming faster and the mark is killing you."

"Great," he lamented sarcastically.

Cassandra and Coulton traveled up the dangerous path to the ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. They fought wraiths and shades along the way, as well as picking up two for their group. Solas, an elven apostate, and Varric, a surface dwarf. Solas had grabbed Coulton's hand and showed him how to use the mark to close the rifts that were forming.

"Whatever made the Breach appear required an incredible amount of magic," Solas reasoned, "and your prisoner is no mage. I find it hard to believe any mage would hold enough power to create such a thing."

Cassandra nodded her head. "Noted," she stated simply.

The group headed to the forward came as fast as they could. There, they found Leliana waiting for them, as well as a man named Chancellor Roderick. It was abundantly clear that unlike Cassandra and Leliana, the Chancellor had no faith in Coulton and was ready to see him dead for the Divine's death.

"He is the only hope we have," Cassandra aruged. "His mark closed the rifts on our way up here."

Solas stepped forward. "With any luck, it will close the breach," he added.

Roderick barely glanced at the elven mage before he turned his nose up at him. "And if it doesn't? Then what?"

"We will deal with that when the time comes," Cassandra retorted. Looking at a map on the table between them, she pointed ahead of their position. "This path is the quickest route."

Leliana shook her head. "But not the safest," she countered. "The mountain path would take you around the fighting."

Cassandra shook her head. "No good. We lost contact with a group of scouts up that path."

Clearly unable to decide, they turned to Coulton. "You are the one we need to get to the Breach. Which way would you choose?" Cassandra asked.

Coulton looked bewildered for a moment before collecting himself. "I'm likely to die before anything else can be done," he said. "I say we take the mountain path. If we're lucky, we will find your missing scouts."

Kaleigh had pushed her mare too hard. She knew that. The frothing at the mouth was evidence of that. She jumped off of her dear animal as soon as she had stopped, thankfully near a small brook. As the horse drank heartily, she kept shooting worried glances up at the mountain.

~Please be safe, Coulton,~ she desperately thought.

She looked at ther now calm horse and sighed. In her worry for her brother, she had thought to reach the Temple as fast as possible. Now, she could either sit here and wait for her company of men, or she could continue on at a slower pace, still faster than their march, and still arrive at Haven before them.

The choice was painfully obvious, and after a short while, she mounted her mare again and started at a much slower canter.

The first thing Kaleigh noticed on her slow trek up the mountain was the sudden bite to the air. She wasn't unprepared in the slightest, having worn her warmest clothes under her armor as well as a heavy cloak. But the chill on the mountain was substantial.

As she continued the slow climb, she began to notice small campfires, most still smoking as if recently extinguished. An occasional one would have a traveler or two but most were empty. As the day wore on into late afternooon and then early evening, Kaleigh started to doubt whether she'd reach Haven before nightfall.

Then, quite suddenly as the path turnd around a giant boulder, Haven was before her.

End Chapter 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: 100 views! A huge thank you to those who have taken an interest in my little story. I really do hope you're enjoying it. I'm working my best to get ahead before I post a new chapter. I have taken a few liberties with the story, I'm trying to keep as true to the story as I can, but I've noticed that as I'm writing, I'm changing things without meaning to. I hope this doesn't bother anyone. I do apologize if the end of this chapter seems a little forced, for lack of a better word. A block hit me in the form of what I'm writing for the next chapter and it was all I could think about. Thank you for reading!

Chapter 5

Kaleigh kicked her mare into a full gallop to cover the last leg of her journey as quickly as she could. She pulled on the reins and the horse skidded to a halt in front of a busy smith and small stable. After dismounting, she looked around quickly.

"Can I help you, my lady?" came a gruff voice.

Kaleigh turned and was greeted by the sight of whom she thought was the blacksmith. She nodded her head, dark hair falling from its braid. "Yes, please," she replied. "I'm looking for who's in charge here. I need to find someone."

"The Commander, Commander Rutherford, is just over there," the man said as he pointed toward a group of men a short way off. "Near the Chantry, you can find Sister Nightengale. They'd be best for helping you, I think."

Kaleigh nodded her head. "Thank you, ser," she said as she headed to the group of practicing men.

Cullen strained to keep his gaze from returning to the Breach. Again. He would have been up there with the others, but he'd had to escort his wounded men down the path and back to the safety of Haven. He had to cling desperately onto the small glimmer of hope that the prisoner could close it. He had to.

"Excuse me? Commander Rutherford?"

Cullen turned sharply, ready to snap at the wayward recruit. A travel weary and dirty, yet still lovely, young woman was the last person he expected to see.

"How can I help you, my lady?" he asked cordially, noting the obviously noble upbringing in her stance.

"My name is Kaleigh Trevelyan," she said in introduction. "I'm trying to find my brother, Coulton. He was ordered here to assist Most Holy with her Conclave."

Cullen's face turned grim at the mention of Divine Justinia's failed mission.

Kaleigh took the last few steps separating herself and the Commader. "Please, Commander," she pleaded, "tell me what happened here. To my brother."

Cullen siged heavily and scratched at the back of his neck. "I'm afraid, Lady Trevelyan, that even we are not completely sure what happened," he confessed. "There was an explosion of magic. It ripped the sky open, killing everyone within the temple at the time." Her face became forlorn as hopelessness seemed to sink in. "There was..." he paused, clearly battling with himself.

"There was what?" she pressed.

"I don't want to raise your hopes, but there was one survivor. I met him very briefly and did not catch his name. Our meeting was very brief. I could not tell you much about him beyond dark hair and able to close the rifts that are forming."

Kaleigh tried not to let herself get too excited by the slight possibility of her brother being alive. "Can you direct me to him?" she asked.

Cullen shook his head. "I'm sorry, my lady. The pris...sorry, the survivor was taken back up to the Temple. They are trying to find a way to close the Breach."

Kaleigh's face became one of curious confusion. "How do they hope to close such a thing?"

"The survivor came out with a mark on his hand. It closes the smaller rifts and it is our hope that it will close the bigger one." Cullen knew she had many questions, and likely ones that he didn't have answers for. "Lady Trevelyan, may I suggest you wait at the Chantry," he suggested. "At the very least, you can get a warm meal and a place to rest for the time being. You said you had a company of men following you?"

Kaleigh nodded her head. "Yes. My father sent us as aid for...for the Conclave. I rode ahead after I saw the explosion." She turned to glance down the way she had come. "They should be here by nightfall or morning, should they decide to make camp for the night."

"When they arrive, we will make sure that they have food and a place to rest as well." He began leading her toward the Chantry. "In the meantime, rest. Perhaps one of the Sisters in the Chantry will have heard something about your brother."

Kaleigh thanked the Commander and walked the short distance to the Chantry doors.

End Chapter 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer(cuz I guess I should put one): I do not own the Dragon Age franchise. Any resemblance to persons living, dead, or otherwise is purely coincidental. I make no profit from the production of this work of fiction.

A/N: I apologize for the wait. We lost a member of our family this week and it hit me hard. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Much love to you all!

Chapter 6

Coulton looked up into the giant rift in front of them. He knew that this would likely kill him, but the urge to try was pushing away any fear he felt. The voices they'd heard, "echos" Solas had called them, disturbed him, though. And the question those echos brought. How he wished he could remember what had happened. If only to appease Cassandra's badgering.

"This rift is sealed," came the elf's voice, "but only temporarily. If it is opened again, we can seal it properly. But it will likely draw attention from the other side."

"That means demons," Cassandra shouted. "Be ready!" She began ordering men and women to take positions surrounding the large rift. Archers lined the upper floor, bows and arrows ready. With a final check, she turned to Coulton and nodded her head once.

Coulton raised his hand and the mark immediately connected with the rift. The pain caused by closing the small rifts was bad, but they were nothing compared to this. The feeling of white hot lightning searing through his arm almost caused him to lower his arm and sever the connection. But as suddenly as it came, it was gone.

And in its place, a gargantuan pride demon.

The demon's footfalls made the ground shake, throwing those on the ground off balance with each step it took. The archers started shooting their arrows, but the beast's hide was too tough for them to dod much damage and instead, the creature roared in annoyance.

Coulton and Cassandra both raised their swords above their heads and shouted at the demon the other warriors on the ground following suit before they all charged at it. Swords and shields clashed, banged and buckled under the force of their strikes. Coulton could feel every hit reverberate through his arm and into his body, shaking him to his core.

"We must lower its defenses!" he heard Cassandra shout. Coulton looked up at the rift and lifted his arm, connecting to it. The pull he felt was great, but the reward was bringing the demon to its knees. As the swords were swung at the monster, shades exited the rift and pulled their attention away from the demon.

The two groups split their attentions and attacked all of the monsters around them. Coulton took every opportunity to pull at the rift and bring the pride demon down. Between swipes from the shades' claws and lightning flying from the demon, they were becoming singed and worn out. Finally, the pride demon fell and didn't get up again.

Coulton shot his hand up and connected to the rift once more. The force of the pull brought him to his knees, but he kept his hand up. He could feel the rift slipping closed.

~Almost...~ Coulton gritted his teeth.

Then, as if swatting away a fly, the rift snapped shut. The sudden loss of connection sent a sharp wave of relief through him and blackness took over.

A loud commotion brought Kaleigh out of the Chantry and toward the front gate. Voices began speaking of how the survivor from the Temple had closed a giant rift with a mark on his hand. "The Herald of Andraste" they were calling him. Kaleigh followed the group of townspeople who were making their way to a small house.

"He was sent to save us," came a voice from her left. Another voice, from the right this time, replied, "If they can save him. He looks almost dead."

She saw soldiers pushing a cart with a man loaded in the back. She could see a mage and another man seeming to check over whomever was in the back. Kaleigh followed the path the cart was taking until she came to a gap in the crowd. Darting foward, she came to the front and as she saw the back of the cart, and who it carried, her breath was nearly knocked out of her.

"Coulton!" she cried as she ran forward. A woman who had been running alongside the cart grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up, effectively halting her momentum.

"Who are you?" she barked as she set Kaleigh back on her feet. "How do you know him?"

Kaleigh watched as they carefully removed her brother's limp form from the cart, panic written on her face. "My name is Kaleigh Trevelyan," she replied frantically. "Coulton is my brother. Please, madam...what happened to him?"

The woman pulled on Kaleigh's arm and the two moved to enter the house. "I am Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast," said the woman. "I was with your brother up in the Temple ruins. He closed a larger rift connected to the breach in the sky." The two women stood in the room but remained out of the way. "We had hoped to seal the Breach, but were unsuccessful. After Coulton closed the rift, he collapsed."

"He will recover," commented one of the men from near the bed. An elf stood and approached the women. "He is physically exhausted, but simply requires rest. I believe he will awaken sometime tomorrow."

Cassandra nodded her head. "Thank you, Solas." She faced Kaleigh and moved to the door. "I know you would wish to remain at his side, but I believe it would help him to have silence."

As much as Kaleigh wanted to argue with the taller woman and stay at her brother's side, she knew that they were right. Kaleigh followed Cassandra and they walked the short distance to the small tavern.

End Chapter 6 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you for your patience. I found my papers and am back at work.

Chapter 7

Kaleigh walked with Cassandra as the older woman told her what had happened at the Temple and how, for a time, they had believed that Coulton was to blame.

"There are still some who believe that it is your brother's doing, but after what we heard, the voiced from the Fade, I, and others, no longer believe he caused such a catastrophe," Cassandra explained. "I do not know if he was sent to save us or if he was just at the right place at the right time. I want to believe it, but..."

"But to believe such a thing is taking a large leap in faith," Kaleigh interrupted. She stopped walking and looked up at the Breach. "I do not hold your assumptions against you. I probably would have thought the worst as well. Thank you for allowing him to prove his innocence."

Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at the Chantry. "I'm afraid this is far from over," she mused. "We must find a way to close the breach. We must seek help from either the mages or Templars, though with all of the continued fighting, I fear it an impossible task."

Kaleigh nodded her head and the two women stood in silence.

"If I didn't know any better," teased an accented voice, "I would think the two of you had just heard something grave."

Kaleigh and Cassandra looked up to see the approach of Leliana and Cullen.

"I know it wasn't what we were hoping for," Cullen reasoned, "but even a small victory is a victory." He turned to Kaleigh and gave her a small smile. "So you found your brother, then? The man I was speaking of?"

Kaleigh nodded her head. "Yes, Commander," she replied. "And I need to thank you for directing me to the Chantry. The Sisters there helped me greatly. Oh, did my men make it safely? I fear in my panic I forgot about them."

Cullen nodded his head in affirmation. "Yes, Lady Trevelyan. All wounded are being seen to and all able-bodied men have been given positions among the troops. Captain Purlow has been given a contingent of men and is running drills and putting them through their paces."

Kaleigh laughed softly. "He is indeed experienced at that."

"Lady Cassandra!"

The group turned to face a fast approaching elven girl. "What is it, Nimoue?" Cassandra asked.

"It's the Herald, my Lady. You said you wanted to know right away when he awoke and he is awake, my Lady."

Before the young elf even finished speaking, Kaleigh was off and down the path away from the Chantry.

Leliana smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. "Let's give them a moment and meet with them in the Chantry," she suggested. "After such an ordeal, some familiarity will do them good."

Cassandra and Cullen both agreed. "Leliana, have Ambassador Montilyet meet us in the War Room," the Seeker commanded. "Cullen and I will go prepare everything."

The group entered the Chantry and separated at the doors.

Coulton had a hard time wrapping his head around the words from the skittish elf. Then the words he could hear from the people of Haven. ~The Herald of Andraste,~ he mused to himself as he walked up the stairs. ~First they want kill me, now I'm their savior. Maker, people are fickle.~ He scowled slightly, which caused those near him to back away slightly.

"Coulton?"

He paused in his steps. No one had called him by his name the entire time he'd been free from the shackles. He looked up and he felt his heart skip several beats. "Kaleigh?" he breathed. He saw the tears in her eyes as she ran to him. "KALEIGH!" he shouted in disbelief and joy.

Kaleigh couldn't stop herself. As soon as she heard her name from his lips, she ran. When near enough, she jumped and leapt into his arms. He caught his little sister with ease and the two stood there for several moments, just holding one another.

"I had thought you were dead," Kaleigh choked out. "when we saw the explosion, I went ahead of the men and came here as fast as I could." She buried her face into his shoulder and pulled him tighter. "Then the Commander told me there was only one survivor."

Coulton rested his chin on top of his sister's head and quietly shushed her. "I know, Kaleigh," he whispered reassuringly. He gave her a few more moments to compose herself, allowing her to step away and wipe her hands over her eyes. "You said you had a group of men with you? And you left them?"

Kaleigh bobbed her head once. "Yes. Father sent them with me on our journey here. Captain Purlow and a small troop to escort me and assist Most Holy as she would have seen fit."

"Where are they now?"

Kaleigh tilted her head in the direction of the main gate. "The Commander put Captain Purlow to work training the troops. The rest of the men were given places among the forces"

Kaleigh wiped at the tears that had leaked down her cheeks. "Let's go," she directed. "Lady Pentaghast and the others won't wait forever."

End Chapter 7


End file.
